


Interlude: Sparky

by moonlight_petal



Series: We are family verse [11]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Gen, Phoenix family, Protective Mac, Sparky is awesome, Sparky speaks baby, Sparky the AI, Team as Family, and frustrated, babysitter Sparky, surprised Bozer, surprised Mac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 17:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20012158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlight_petal/pseuds/moonlight_petal
Summary: An unexpected contestant appears in the Phoenix family game of 'who's the best babysitter?'





	Interlude: Sparky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GeekyNightOwl1997](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeekyNightOwl1997/gifts).



> This is a short one but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I was excited for this from the moment I read the suggestion given to me. I hope it comes close to what you had in mind.
> 
> Please enjoy the fluff... coming up next a little angst, self-doubt and drama. You've been warned.  
> Until next time!

** Interlude: Sparky **

It's been a week after David's unexpected illness and Mac's subsequent almost breakdown. The little boy was back on his feet and active as ever, no trace of his suffering in sight. His dad on the other hand was still quite shaken by the whole ordeal and despite of what the doctors and his family told Mac, he still was convinced that he should have handled that better, should have caught David feeling bad earlier.

That was mainly the reason why Mac had turned even more protective than before, not letting the child out of his sight for a second if he could help it. And if he couldn't then he made sure someone else kept a close eye on the boy.

He was tinkering away in his lab at the moment, David happily playing in his play area while Bozer was in the next lab over and Jack and Riley were currently at the gym. Matty had kept them back from big missions for the moment because they all saw that Mac still wasn't back in the game fully and the Phoenix director didn't want to risk anything. Plus her top team certainly deserved a break and the other teams could use the experience with more difficult ops.

The small boy squealed when he noticed his father walking around and past him several times, quickly making his way to the fence because that usually meant that they were leaving soon.

Mac stopped when he saw that, dropping to his knees and gently ruffling his boy's hair.

"Sorry buddy, your dad is just looking for some things, no adventures today, at least not yet..." Mac glanced at the clock. "Although maybe we can make a stop at the playground later, huh?" he leaned in and kissed David on the forehead.

"Sparky?" he called out then, watching how their AI came to life.

"Yes sir?" the sophisticated voice inquired. To this day Mac couldn't get the confirmation out of Bozer but he would swear up and down that Bozer's choice of voice programming was highly influenced by his love for all things Marvel and Iron Man. And one of these days Mac would get him to confess the truth.

"I need to make a supply run, could you please keep a close eye on David for me?"

"Of course sir. I will gladly monitor the little sir until you return."

Mac chuckled. 'Little sir' had been the most recent developement in Sparky's vocabulary.

"Thank you, Sparky. Please alert Bozer and me in case David needs anything." the blonde turned to his son. "Alright David, daddy has to leave for a few minutes. Be a good boy for Sparky, okay?" once more he ruffled David's blond hair.

The child looked up questioningly.

"Dada go?"

"Yes, I have to go and pick up some things from storage. I'll be back as soon as possible, promise. Sparky will keep you company." Mac said, he had started to explain what he did to his son in more detail, noticing that clever as David was, he did understand more than Mac had thought possible at his age. Especially when he had to leave David alone Mac made sure to tell him that he would be back soon.

"Pa-ki?" David asked again, tilting his head to the side with a frown.

"Yes, Sparky, you know Sparky..." Mac pointed at the AI next to the play area. "Now, be good, baby bug, I'm back soon." Mac got back to his feet and left the lab quickly.

David watched his father leave the room and frowned a little.

"Dada?"

"Your father left, little sir. He will come back shortly." Sparky immediately chimed in, startling the little boy.

Just like always David needed a moment to register the electronic sounding voice but when he did his face brightened.

"Pa-ki!" he squealed happily, walking closer to the side of the fence where the AI was placed.

"Yes, little sir?"

"Pa-ki good?" David asked curiously.

It took a little moment for the AI to process before he answered.

"Yes little sir, I'm very good. Thank you for asking."

David clapped his hands excitedly, his eyes sparkling.

"Pa-ki play?" he questioned further, grinning from ear to ear.

"Shall we play a game, little sir? What would you like to play?"

The little boy grew silent for a moment, not really following the sentences the AI spoke to him but gathering that his friend was willing to play.

"Pa-ki.. dog?" the blond kid finally settled for.

"Small dog or big dog, little sir?" Sparky asked, needing further information.

David didn't really know what the AI meant but repeated the first work tentatively.

"Small dog it is, little sir."

The next moment, Sparky projected a video of various small dogs to the white surface of the shelf opposite of David's play area. And with the video the excited yapping of a small dog filled the lab.

David all but shrieked with laughter, clapping again watching the dogs in the video running around with wide eyes.

The sudden and strange noise alerted Bozer next door, who immediately came in to investigate, stopping abruptly in the doorway, intrigued by the scene in front of him.

"Pa-ki, big now..." David giggled.

"Big dog it is then, little sir." Sparky replied and moments later, the deep and sonorous woof of a Saint Bernard filled the space, along with the corresponding video.

David startled, falling silent for a moment, eyes wide and mouth open slightly as he watched the big dog and heared the woof.

Bozer almost stepped in at that moment, fascinated by what he was seeing but fearing that David might have managed to scare himself with his request for a big dog. But right before he had made up his mind, David's face brightened once again.

"Again..." the child mumbled and the AI reacted instantly, changing the video to one of a Golden Retriever running along a field, barking happily.

Bozer quickly pulled his phone out, starting a new recording just when David requested yet another big dog.

This time Sparky chose a German Shepherd which startled David again at first but filled his face with awe seconds later.

"Pa-ki... car!" David asked next, growing tired of dogs again. And that one certainly was his grandfather's fault because Jack talked about cars a lot to the boy, had given him several toy cars as well.

"A car next, certainly little sir." Sparky confirmed and the unmistakable sound of cars racing along a race track filled the air bringing out a happy giggle in the child.

"Bozer?" Mac's voice sounded along the hallway, startling the man. Bozer left the camera pointed at the duo in the lab but turned his head towards Mac.

"What are you doing? What's going on?" the young father asked as soon as he was closer.

"Shh... watch..." Bozer just grinned, nodding inside.

Inside, David had just requested another one and the car racing sounds were replaced by a deeper motor rumble and the images of a jeep making its way across a dirt road.

"What the..." Mac murmured in surprise.

"Pa-ki... again... big... big car..." the blond boy asked, stumbling over his words but the AI understood perfectly fine.

"A big car for the little sir. Coming right up." the AI announced, exchanging the images again.

"Good choice..." Bozer chuckled.

"Yeah, that's probably as big as it can be..." Mac replied as they both watched David watch a spectacular race between two Monster Trucks.

David clapped excitedly, slightly jumping on the spot.

"How long has this been going on?" Mac asked.

"No idea really, I just came here because I heard something like a Yorkshire Terrier barking and was wondering what you two were up to and found the two of them like this." Bozer explained.

They watched for a moment longer but in the blink of an eye David's expression fell and he turned back to the AI.

"Pa-ki... dada?" David asked with a sad edge to his voice and a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Uh-oh...." Mac whispered.

"Your father will return shortly, little sir." Sparky explained, having located the man of course already but unable to tell David that.

"Dada~" David cried again, his face scrunched up and on the verge of spilling tears.

Mac couldn't wait to see how the AI would handle this situation but quickly entered the lab, unceremoniously dropping the supplies on the next best table and picking up his son.

"I'm here, baby bug, everything's fine. I'm here!" he gently murmured to David, hugging him close while his son sniffled softly. "Thank you for entertaining my son, Sparky."

"Certainly, sir. You are welcome, sir."

A soft whirring filled the air while Mac soothed his son. Bozer had stopped the recording and had followed his friend inside.

"Query, sir?" Sparky spoke up once more a moment later.

"Yes?" Mac asked, looking curiously at Bozer who watched their AI with a raised eyebrow.

"What kind of action should I have taken to reassure little sir?" Sparky asked and pretty much floored both his creators with that question.

"Buddy, I know this is a very unsatisfactory answer but other than calling Mac, me or one of the others there is nothing you could have done just now. You are not yet equipped to handle a crying infant. They rarely if ever can be reasoned with with words at this age. Sorry."

Sparky took a moment to process what Bozer had told him.

"I understand, sir. Thank you, sir." he replied and if they didn't know any better Mac and Bozer would have sworn that the AI had sounded sad and frustrated by that fact.

**

Some time later Jack, Riley and Matty's phones alerted them to a new incoming message by Bozer containing nothing but a file titled:

'A new contestant in the favourite babysitter game appears.vid' 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to share further suggestions and ideas. I will consider them all even if I can't promise to write them all.


End file.
